Automobile-lock



H. E. FENNER.

AUTOMOBILE LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED 1uLYa,192o.

1,395,337. PatentedNov. 1,1921.

A TTURNE Y UNITED STATES PATENTr OFFICE.

HERBERT E. FENNER, OF BRYN MAWR, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMOBILE-LOCK.

Application filed July 8,

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HERBERT E. FENNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bryn Mawr, county of Montgomery, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Automobile- Lock, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to a device for preventing the unauthorized removal of a motor vehicle and has more particular relation to the providing of a key-operated switch which may be applied to the vehicle dash-board or some other suitable part thereof, the switch. being so arranged and connected with respect to the source of ignition and spark plugs that the vehicle motor will not properly fire unless the switch is operated by the particular key designed therefor.

The leading object of the present invention may be said to reside in the providing of a simple, compact, efficient and comparatively inexpensive switch of this type which may be readily applied to motor vehicles in a few moments time. Other and further objects will hereinafter appear.

The invention consists of the improvements hereinafter described and finally claimed.

The nature, characteristic features and scope of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, and in which:

Figure 1, is a view principally in horizontal section of a switch embodying features of the present invention applied to the dashboard of a motor vehicle.

Fig. 2, is a front elevational view of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3, is a rear elevational view of Fig. 1.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown in the accompanying drawings one form thereof which is at present preferred by me, since the same has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

In the drawings 10 designates one of two Specification or Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

Leading from each terminal 12 to the outer l face of the block 10 is a binding-post 13, the binding posts in practice being connected to a magneto or battery ignition. Seated within the annular recess 11 of block 10 is the sleeve of the second terminal block which block is designated'lt. The terminal block 14 is provided with an annular flange 15 by which the same may be secured for instance to the dash-board 16 of a motor vehicle. In the drawings I have shown a ring 17 fitted over said flange and securedto the dash-board by screws. although obviously other means of attachment may be emmloyed. Terminals 19 are secured to the block 14, and binding posts 2O lead from said terminals through the walls of said sleeve and through apertures 21 in the terminal block 10. The binding posts 20 are in practice connected to the cylinder spark plugs of a vehicle motor. Mounted between the two terminal blocks is a rotatable contact-block 22 in the form of a disk also of insulating material. The inner and outer faces of this contact-block have fitted thereto, respectively, contacts 23 and 24. The set of contacts 23 are electrically inter-connected with the set of contacts 24 in an irregular manner as shown in Fig. 2 by wires a--b-c-d so that the contact-block must be moved a predetermined distance in the proper direction in order to establish the correct electrical contact between terminals 12 and 19, otherwise the proper firing order of the cylinders cannot be had. In order to secure the proper movement of contact block 22 I employ a lock of conventional form, as a Yale-lock.7 The non-rotatable part 25 of the lock is fixed to the dashboard 16 and the rotatable barrel 26 is eX- tended through the terminal block 14C and is fixed as at 2? to the contact-block 22. By the insertion of key 28 within the lock and moving the same in the proper direction for the required. distance the necessary electrical connections for proper firing are procured and vice-versa, movement in the opposite direction tends. to break proper electrical connections and establish improper electriw cal connection thus upsetting proper firing order.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and useful construction which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description and while I have in the present instance shown and described the preferred embodiment thereof which has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is tobe understood that the same is susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages. Y

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the character stated superimposed fixed terminal blocks of insulating material each provided with contact pieces, a disk of insulating material rotatably mounted between said terminal blocks which disk is provided with spaced contact pieces electrically inter-connected in an irregular manner, a key barrel passing through one of said terminal blocks and fixed to said disk and a key adapted for coperatively engaging said barrel to shift said disk for establishing registry of the contact pieces of said disk with the terminal blocks whereby correct timing order of motor cylinders may be effected.

2. In a device of the character stated a dished terminal block of insulating material, means for supporting said block in a fixed manner, a disk of insulating material rotatably mounted within said terminal block, spaced contact pieces electrically inter-con-` nected in an irregular manner carried by said disk, other contact pieces at least some of which are carried by said block, a key barrel passing through said means and fixed to said disk and a key adapted for coperatively engaging said bairel to shift said disk for establishing registry of the disk contact pieces with the other' of said contact pieces whereby correct timing order of motor cylinders may be effected.

3.!In a device of the character stated a dished terminal block of insulating material, means for supporting said block in fixed position, a disk of insulating material rotat ably mounted within said block, spaced con-- tact pieces electrically inter-connected in an irregular manner carried by said disk, other contact pieces at least some of which are carried by said block and means insertible through the block supporting member for shifting said disk to establish registry of the disk contact pieces with the other of said contact pieces whereby correct timing order of motor cylinders may bek effected.

lIn testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

HERBERT E. FENNER; 

